Our programs are the backbone of what we do and include many ways we can work with you. Whether you’re looking to buy a new home for your family, want to start a community garden with your neighbors, or are looking for a great investment opportunity, we’re here to help! Get more details on each of our programs below, and don’t forget to check out our Resources page for additional information and materials. As always, get in touch if there is anything we can do for you!
We publish new properties to our website once a month, on the day after our Board Meetings (Board Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month). You can find all properties currently for sale by clicking here. Curious about our property types? Check out our Learn page for more details! We list all of our open houses on our Facebook events page and would love you to join us at an open house! If you are working with a licensed realtor or contractor, you can have them contact our office to schedule a viewing at your convenience. Many of our properties may not have utilities turned on, so please dress appropriately and you may want to bring flashlights. Unless previously approved, referral fees must be paid by the buyer.
Properties are listed for at least 30 days before applications are reviewed. Applications are reviewed as they are submitted. We strive to review applications in a timely manner, typically your application will go to our Board for approval within 30-45 days of your complete application submission. Some sites may be more challenging to review, so please allow 90 days for the review and approval process. You can apply directly from the property listing page on our website; if you need an accommodation such as a printed application, please contact our office and we’ll be happy to help you out!
Complete applications will include:
Properties are sold as-is, but we do accept offers. Please see our Disposition Summary for additional application requirements. If we have only one complete application by the the completion of the application review, we will reach out to the applicant to discuss a Purchase Agreement before moving forward to our Board for approval. If there are multiple complete applications, we will hold an auction in our office for all applicants with complete applications that meet the disposition priorities established by our Board. The application with the highest bid from the auction will then move forward to our Board for approval.
The OMLB Board of Directors accepts or rejects all offers to purchase OMLB properties at our board meetings. Board Meetings are open to the public and you are welcome to attend!
All Land Bank properties are sold with a specified redevelopment timeline; everything listed in your job-cost estimate must be complete within that timeline. Currently, purchasers have 9 months for the renovation of a single-family residential property and two years for other types of property; the redevelopment timeline will be specified in your application and purchase agreement. We will regularly check in on redevelopment progress after closing and sign off as soon as the redevelopment is complete. If redevelopment does not happen within the specified timeline, the property reverts back to Land Bank ownership, as-is. If you believe you may need an extension, please contact us as soon as possible.
Need financing or a contractor? Want to see a sample application? Find resources for buyers on our Resources page! Contact us with any additional questions you have! Contact Us
Please reach out to us at 402.800.1240 or info@omlb.org.
We’ll set up an appointment to view the property, then let you know what we can offer (if applicable). Once a purchase price is negotiated or the donation is accepted, we’ll send you a Purchase Agreement or Donation Form, then send the transaction to our Board for approval. All realtor/broker fees must be paid by the purchaser.
Have liens on a property you own? We can work with you! We have the ability to cancel some City and County liens in addition to paying you for your property, so you can walk away with a fresh start!
The OMLB Board of Directors accepts or rejects property acquisitions at Board Meetings held on the second Wednesday of each month at 9 am in the Jesse Lowe Conference Room, 3rd Floor, Civic Center, 1819 Farnam Street. Board Meetings are open to the public and you are welcome to attend!
New Programming Coming Soon! Stay Tuned!
Every year, Douglas County holds a tax lien sale that allows investors to bid on tax lien certificates for properties with unpaid taxes from the previous year. After three years, if the property owner has not paid the taxes due, the tax lien investor can foreclose on the property and become the new owner. The Land Bank can take part in this tax lien sale and, due to state legislation, our bid becomes the automatically accepted bid on tax lien certificates we select. We collaborate with our non-profit partners to select properties that fit both their needs and our criteria and invest in these tax lien certificates on their behalf. If we foreclose on the properties at the end of three years, we will sell the properties to that non-profit partner. While tax lien certificates can be purchased on any property that has delinquent taxes, we will only invest in properties that meet certain criteria, including properties that are vacant, abandoned and/or distressed. Contact us to learn more!
The Omaha Land Bank has the ability to hold properties tax-free for up to one year. If your non-profit has acquired a property but aren’t ready to develop it now, you can transfer the property to us. When you’re ready to develop, we’ll deed the property directly back to you. You will be required to maintain the property while it is deposited with us, but your only direct cost is the title transfers. So, what’s in it for the Land Bank? Not only are we helping non-profits and their donors avoid tax payments on idle properties, the Land Bank will receive, from Douglas County, 50% of the taxes paid on the property for five years after deeding it back to the non-profit. This income stream supports our continued operations and activities. Contact us to learn more!
Our land assemblies come prepped and ready for development! We do all the background work to acquire, prepare and package multiple parcels for your next project. These properties will be offered through an RFP/Q process as they become available; you can find our open opportunities in the Developer section of our Resources page. If you’re looking for a specific type of property or if you’d like to be notified of land assemblies as they become available, please email us at info@omlb.org.
We’ve included some resources below that we hope will be helpful for you. Please let us know if you have any questions or if there is anything else you need!
We’ve included links to our governing documents for your information. Let us know if you have any questions!
Please feel free to review the sample documents below; these documents may be customized for your transaction.
Learn more about purchasing Land Bank properties on our Programs page!
Because many of our homes are in need of rehabilitation, people interested in purchasing our homes may need contractors or special financing options. To help you turn one of our distressed properties into your dream project, we’ve gathered some resources together for you! The Land Bank does not require or endorse the use of any of the listed resources.
Financial Resources
We have listed below programs we are aware of that may relate to your needs, including lenders that offer loan packages combining purchase price and renovation costs into a single mortgage.
Find a Contractor You can find contractors through the below websites:
Contact us with any additional questions!
Please feel free to review the sample documents below; these documents will be customized for your transaction.
Contact us with any additional questions!
We work with local contractors in many ways:
Contact us if you would like to be added to our list of contractors and be notified about future bid opportunities!
If we have any open RFPs, RFQs or other opportunities, you will find them listed below. No currently listed opportunities.
We need developers as our end-use partners; without you, we couldn’t be successful in our mission to transform our community’s distressed properties. Please review information about purchasing individual properties; details on our current land assemblies are listed below. Contact us if you would like to be added to our list of developers and be notified about future bid opportunities!
If we have any open RFPs, RFQs or other opportunities, you will find them listed below. No currently listed opportunities.
We believe in collaboration: we work with community partners in order to leverage individual strengths, share assets and achieve broader goals than we could on our own. We are always excited to team up with the following types of partners:
Currently, we work with partners who:
We are also interested in:
Contact us to start the discussion today!
